Ranchi:
The High Court in Jharkhand has rejected the bail plea of Lalu Prasad, the former Bihar chief minister who is serving a five-year sentence at a Ranchi jail in connection with a fodder scam case.
The 66-year-old Rashtriya Janata Dal chief was convicted for corruption by a Ranchi court in September in a 17-year-old case involving embezzlement of Rs. 970 crore spent in fictitious fodder and medicines for the animals.
Following his conviction, the political heavyweight from Bihar lost his Lok Sabha membership. According to a recent Supreme Court order, lawmakers convicted for criminal offences punishable with jail term of more than two years stand immediately disqualified from Parliament and state legislatures.
Among 43 others convicted along with Lalu Prasad in the fodder scam case is former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra. Mr Mishra was granted provisional bail by the Jharkhand High Court earlier this month.
Mr Prasad is currently serving his prison term at Ranchi's Birsa Munda prison, 350 kms away from Bihar's capital Patna.